Atop the Oklahoma 2018 Class
With Keyshawn Embery heading south to Florida for his senior year, the 2018 Oklahoma Class has a spot at the top up for grabs. The spot comes down to three players fighting for the #1 ranking Adokiye Iyaye, Trey Hopkins and Jaycson Bereal.
Iyaye moved into Class 6A last year becoming a Putnam City North Panther. He found great success leading Putnam City North to the Class 6A State Tournament. Many came to know Iyaye with their first round upset victory over Midwest City. Iyaye shined that night showing many qualities that make him a good player. Fierce, competitor, high motor, two-way player, and good jump shot are all ways to describe Iyaye. He isn’t the most athletic player. However, there are moments the 6’2 Combo Guard shows off sneaky athleticism. Iyaye is a productive high school player that will have great success at UTSA with his work ethic and skill set.
Trey Hopkins has had the best production of the three players in his high school career with three trips to the Class 5A State Tournament at Carl Albert. Hopkins has helped the Titans to one championship, two championship game appearances, and three semifinals appearances. Clutch factor goes to Hopkins with his game winning shots. The most memorable came in the state tournament to lift Carl Albert to victory over Tulsa Memorial in the Championship game. Hopkins wows with his great athleticism. Name a dunk and Hopkins can probably deliver and make it look easy. He has a good jumper. Bad shot selection can be a downfall for Hopkins, which at times take away from how good he can shoot the basketball. As Hopkins matures over his senior year and at the next level, he will have the opportunity to improve his shot selection to take his game to the next step. The freak athleticism, good jumper and playmaking abilities of Hopkins are what separates him. Those attributes will serve him well at Boise State next year.
Jaycson Bereal broke out last year at Booker T. Washington. Many who don’t follow Prep Hoops Oklahoma had not previously known who Bereal was as he was forced to sit out his sophomore campaign. If you had asked Bereal in middle school what sport he was going to play in college, he probably would have told you football. Basketball did not become Bereal’s main game until he was in high school. Bereal has grown leaps and bounds on and off the floor since the time Prep Hoops Oklahoma first scouted him with the Oklahoma Wolfpack in the summer heading into his sophomore season. The length of Bereal is intriguing at 6’7 with his ability to play at the Forward spot and slide out to the Wing as well. He is still learning the game and will have to get stronger to be effective at the college level. What makes Bereal stand out is his freak athleticism. Yes, Hopkins has very similar athletism to Bereal, however, remember Bereal is 6’7. Bereal is very raw still on the court. He will need to improve his jumper, court awareness and continue to learn the game. Boise State landed a player who could blossom into a star at the collegiate level in Bereal.
Production at the high school level is a toss up between Iyaye and Hopkins with Bereal coming in a distant third. Untapped potential goes to Bereal at 6’7 with his athleticism he could turn into a pro by the end of his college career with lots of hard work and improvement in his game at Boise State. The best upside is a toss up between Hopkins and Bereal because of their athleticism they have a higher ceiling. When you weigh out everything Hopkins comes in at the #1 spot due to the combination of his great high school production and upside at the college level. Hopkins, Iyaye and Bereal are each good high school players who have the opportunity to play at the Division I level and are not separated by much at the top of the 2018 Oklahoma Class.
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com